Xenicola taroba Fianco, Faria & Braun, 2019

Fianco, Marcos, Preis, Hemanueli, Szinwelski, Neucir, Braun, Holger & Faria, Luiz R. R., 2019, On brachypterous phaneropterine katydids (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Phaneropterinae) from the Iguaçu National Park, Brazil: three new species, new record and bioacoustics, Zootaxa 4652 (2), pp. 240-264 : 251-253

Xenicola taroba Fianco, Faria & Braun sp. n.

( Figs. 6 , 9 A–D, 10C and 11C)

Diagnosis: This species can by recognized by fastigium of frons at most a sixth of the scape width; CuP black; superior spine of all genicular lobes at least three times longer than the inferior one; tergite X with a protuberance equal to one third of the tergite; subgenital plate wider than long; cerci curved, thickness tapering towards their apical curvature, then becoming abruptly narrow; lower fold of ventral lobe of male genitalia trespassing the ventral fold of dorsal lobe. Female ovipositor twice as long as pronotum.

Etymology: In the legend of how the Iguazu Falls were created (e.g. Carneiro Jr. 2005), Tarobá, a young warrior, and his beloved Naipí were punished by M’Boi, the serpent god, son of Tupã. In his anger against Tarobá and Naipí, that were trying to escape on a canoe, M’Boi dug the riverbed, forming these astonishing falls. The specific epithet honors Tarobá, this curious legend and all the native people of trinational region ( Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay). Noun in apposition.

Description: Holotype male ( Fig. 6 A–E; 9A, C; 11C): Head ( Fig. 6C, D ): Fastigium of frons at most a sixth of the scape width. Sulcus of fastigium of the vertex as long as diameter of the eye. Antennae at least three times as long as the body; scape dorsoventrally flattened; pedicel cylindrical. With a brown strip from eye in direction to pronotum. Thorax: Pronotum: pronotal disc pubescent, setae arising from existing granulations; Lateral lobes with a curved sulcus in the middle, below lateral carina; pubescent, without granulations; lateral carinae with an uninterrupted straight tricolour band from anterior to posterior edge, yellow-white-light brown pattern from top to bottom; inferior edge undulated, posterior edge straight, in a 45º angle in relation to pronotal disc ( Fig. 6D ). Wings ( Fig. 9A, C ): Tegmina rounded ( Fig. 9A ); CuP black; teeth of stridulatory file almost with the same size, intertooth interval broader in in the middle ( Fig. 9C ). Legs: Legs I and II light brown, leg III darker. Extremities of tibia and femur light yellow. Superior spine of genicular lobe at least three times longer than the inferior. Abdomen: tergites with several granulations, specially medially. Tricolour band also present, seen only laterally; yellow-white-brown from top to bottom ( Fig. 6A ). Tergite X with posterior edge concave; with a protuberance equal to one third of the tergite ( Fig. 6F ). Subgenital plate elliptical, wider than long; median keel not longer than half length of the plate; posterior processes longer than wide ( Fig. 6E ). Cerci curved, thickness decreasing gradually to their apical curvature, becoming abruptly narrow; with a dark apical tooth ( Fig. 6F ). Genitalia ( Fig. 11C ): Phallus symmetrical, rounded; ejaculatory vesicles small, in the middle of the base of the dorsal lobe; lower fold of ventral lobe chalice-shaped, apex rounded, trespassing the ventral fold of dorsal lobe; upper folds of ventral lobe as long as half of its lower fold; ventral fold of dorsal lobe smooth in dorsal view, apical edge almost straight; dorsal lobe tip acuminate and with dot-like sclerotizations; dorsal lobe without amorphous sclerotization; dorsal fold narrow, in width at most a quarter of lower fold of ventral lobe.

Calling song: unknown. The only male was collected in a Malaise trap, in alcohol.

Female ( Figs. 6G, H ; 9B, D ; 10C ): Larger than male ( Fig. 10C ). Most morphological structures as in males. Maxillary palps light green. Pronotum surface smooth. Spatula-like forewings ( Fig. 9F ), the right with one almost straight line of conical stridulatory teeth, as large as long, the line curving ca. 50º and forming a F-like vein with several longer teeth ( Fig. 9D ). Lateral lobes of pronotum with a plain light band, from anterior to posterior edge; tricolor band absent. Abdomen greenish with a lateral white band. Tergite X at least half as long as IX; posterior edge undulated with a median depression; without any protuberance. Conical cerci, as long as epiproct. Subgenital plate triangular with obtuse apex; its base at least four times as wide as apex ( Fig. 6G ). Ovipositor twice as long as pronotum, almost straight; acuminate; serrulations from the distal fourth of dorsal valves and in the distal fifth of inferior valves ( Fig. 6H ). This description corresponds to the paratype listed below.

Type material: Holotype male “ BR, PR, Foz do Iguaçu\Parque Nacional do Iguaçu\ 11–17.XI.2017 \Malaise 5m \ Szinwelski, N. col.”. Deposited at “Coleção Entomológica Padre Jesus Santiago Moure” ( DZUP), Curitiba , Brazil . Paratype: 1 female, “ BR, PR, Foz do Iguaçu\Parque Nacional do Iguaçu\ 06–09.IX.2017 \Coleta ativa noturna\ Fianco, M. col.”. Deposited at “Coleção Entomológica Padre Jesus Santiago Moure” ( DZUP), Curitiba, Brazil .

Measurements (mm): Holotype: BL: 14.72; TegL: 2,73; HW: 3.07; PrL: 3.51; PrH: 2.4; LFiii: 19.5; LTiii: 24; SPL: 1.77; CL: 2.27; SPL: 0.83; TN: 34. Paratype: BL: 19.67; TegL: 2.46; HW: 3.62; PrL: 4.52; PrH: 2.06; LFiii: 23.47; LTiii: 27.71; SPL: 1.81; CL: 1.68; CO: 11.32; SFL: 0.64; TN: 19.

Remarks: At first, it is important to highlight that the holotypes of Xenicola dohrni and Xenicola superba were both studied through photographs kindly provided by Dr. P.D. Szymroszczyk, curator of MZPW. Xenicola taroba sp. n. is similar to X. dohrni and X. xukrixi sp. n. as the males of both species present a tricolour band on lateral lobes of pronotum; despite being collected in a Malaise trap (and fixed and stored in alcohol), we were able to perceive some colour markings in the specimen. The similarities are also in the shape of lateral edges of pronotum, curved tip of male cerci and in the spatula-like tegmina. Both X. dohrni and X. taroba sp. n. have broad lateral lobes of the pronotum compared to a narrow one in X. superba . The new species differs from X. superba by having a smooth lateral carinae of the pronotum, compared to the crenelated shape in this latter species. Another difference is the shape of the inferior edge of the lateral lobes of pronotum, curved in X. taroba sp. n. and straight in X. superba , and in the angulation of posterior edges, very oblique in X. superba and in just 45º in the new species and in X. dohrni . The new species, X. taroba sp. n., is distinguished from X. dohrni by the shape of male cerci, that are curved and have a suddenly narrowed tip compared to being straight and of almost the same thickness in X. dohrni , and in the length of the subgenital plate, much more longer than cerci in the new species and longer than cerci in X. dohrni .

The differences between females of Xenicola are related to general coloration, a plain colour in X. superba in contrast to a presence of a white strip on lateral sides of abdomen and pronotum in X. taroba sp. n. The tegmina in the new species are spatula-like as in X. dohrni , very distinct of the truncated tegmina of X. superba , and not presenting the pallid reticulations as found in X. superba . The ovipositor size is also different among the species, twice as long as pronotum in X. superba , and 2.5x in the new species.

Figures

FIGURE 6. Xenicola taroba sp. n. general morphology. A: male habitus; B: male habitus in dorsal view; C: male head, frontal view; D: male pronotum, lateral view; E and F: male subgenital plate in ventral view and cercus in dorsal view, respectively; G: female subgenital plate, ventral view; H: ovipositor. Scale bar, A and B: 1 cm; C–H: 1 mm.

FIGURE 9. Wings and stridulatory files of Xenicola taroba sp. n. and X. xukrixi sp. n. A and B: X. taroba sp. n. male and females tegmina, respectively; C and D: X. taroba sp. n. male and female stridulatory files; E and F: X. xukrixi sp. n. male and female tegmina, respectively; G and H: X. xukrixi sp. n. male and female stridulatory files. Letters folowed by a ‘ indicate left, while simple letters indicate right forewings. Scale bar; 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 10: Females. A: Anisophya melanochloris; B: A. una sp. n.; C: Xenicola taroba sp. n.; D: X. xukrixi sp. n. Scale bar: 1 cm.

FIGURE 11. Male genitalia. A: Anisophya melanochloris; B: A. una sp. n.; C: Xenicola taroba sp. n.; D: X. xukrixi sp. n. The left drawings indicate dorsal view of the genitalia whereas right drawings indicate the ventral view. Abbreviations: as, amorphous sclerotization; df, dorsal fold; dl, dorsal lobe; ddl, dorsal fold of dorsal lobe; ejd, ejaculatory duct; ejv, ejaculatory vesicles; lw.vl, lower folds of ventral lobe; up.vl, upper folds of ventral lobe; vdl, ventral fold of dorsal lobe. Scale bar: A, 2 mm; B-D: 1.6mm.